


Charmed

by PrplPnk



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: AU/AR, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-11-02 02:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20585573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrplPnk/pseuds/PrplPnk
Summary: When Caleb protects himself with fire, someone who is resistant can break through.





	Charmed

_ They’re going to kill me. _

It was Caleb’s only thought as he defended himself, throwing up a firewall when Beauregard tried to grab his arm. The spell worked well as a barrier and kept the people he was truly beginning to believe were his friends from coming close.

_ They betray, they hate, they never trusted. Light. Them.  _ ** _UP_ ** _ . _

Those words were reinforced by catching glimpses through the flames of the Mighty Nein spreading out around him, a few trying to attack through the fire, getting burned in the process. Caleb could feel some attempts to break his concentration but he would not relent. He steeled his mind; betrayal would not stop him from his ultimate goal and he would do what he had to in order to survive.

Water suddenly surged up from the pool behind him, forcing him to grab onto the stalagmites jutting up from the ground around him to keep his footing. Caleb watched his firewall be subdued by the water and his breath caught in a moment of fear. The spell still held, but the flames took a few short seconds to restore and in that time more ranged attacks came his way. Resisting the magic and dodging projectiles, Caleb remained unharmed, having spent enough time around the others to become familiar with how they fought.

_ Well done, _ a thought echoed as the flames restored and roared back to the spell’s full strength.  _ Finish them before they finish you. _

Caleb reached into his bag for more reagents, his mind quickly sifting through spells and actions. Before he could finalize his plans, a sudden shadow appeared above him as someone burst through the flames.

Mollymauk’s unique deep red eyes appeared to glow, the rest of his face hidden in flickering shadows, gaze focused on the wizard. His colorful coat was singed as it billowed behind him, the jewels adorning his curled horns glinting in the firelight as he came to land gracefully a step before Caleb.

Cold fear shot through Caleb’s body and he flinched, expecting to feel the bite of the tiefling’s swords, but then noticed as Molly smoothly began to stand that both weapons were still sheathed at his hips. Hesitating in his confusion, the wizard barely glimpsed Molly’s face, still shadowed from the fire behind him, before the back of Molly’s right hand struck his face with a solid  _ smack _ !

Pain rippled through Caleb’s face at the hit, his vision blurring and the whispering thoughts bleeding away with an angry sound. A familiar sense of clarity washed over his mind and he turned his gaze to the succubus hiding amongst the stalactites in the ceiling. She glared at the wizard and tiefling behind him, hissing angrily as she dropped from her perch, staying out of Beauregard’s reach, and glided further into the cave, disappearing into the darkness.

Beau began to follow and Caleb instinctively cast haste on the retreating monk, his concentration on the firewall breaking and the flames immediately diminished to nothing. His breathing was shallow as his remaining orbs of light gathered nearby, giving him a good look of the group as they began to take Beau’s lead and go further into the cave. He could see the burns, the scent of charred flesh hitting his nose and churning his stomach. Caleb swallowed against the nausea and his sight began to blur.

“What the  ** _fuck_ ** , Caleb?!” he heard Jester shout to his left among footfalls moving away from him.

“I-I am sorry,” his words stuttered and became quiet, his thoughts being drawn down a familiar and unforgiving path. The screams were always the first to break through the darkness as icy tendrils of guilt wrapped firmly around his chest. “I’m sorry.” A small light flickered within the shadows surrounding his mind, the all too familiar scent of a fire wafting faintly over his face. “…sorry.” The light slowly came toward him, the memory beginning to assault his senses; the brightness, the heat, the screams, the smell. Caleb fell toward it, his body and soul locked in place, the proper punishment; to never forget, to relive it. “…sor--”

A gentle touch to his lips cut his word short, the touch seemed from far away.

“There will be time for that later,” a familiar voice whispered directly into Caleb’s ear, followed by a comforting and recognizable kiss pressed to his forehead.

_ Mollymauk. _ The darkness around him reversed nearly instantly once the wizard voiced his name within his mind, the memory folding itself back into the shadowy places of his heart.

Caleb’s eyes refocused as Molly slightly leaned down, their foreheads touching and filling Caleb’s view with vibrant red eyes. The finger pressed against his lips moved away and Molly’s right hand gently cupped the back of the wizard’s head and neck, not allowing him to retreat.

Molly’s red gaze stared into Caleb for a long, silent moment. Caleb stared back, slightly afraid of looking away, but also noticed those devilish red eyes that appeared unsettling with no pupils or points, did have a very, very slight iris. The red was just a hint darker, easy to miss, glinting slightly in the soft glow of the floating orbs, reminding him of a shimmering garnet.

“Are you with me?” Mollymauk’s words were soft, non-accusing, his breath tickling against Caleb’s beard.

The wizard felt his cheeks warm a bit, swallowing against the lingering nausea once more and breathing out, “…ja.”

Molly’s wide smile reached his eyes. “Then let’s fuck these assholes up!” He kept their foreheads touching a moment more before pulling away. His right hand lingered, almost teasing as it glided down along Caleb’s neck, across his clavicle and over his shoulder.

Caleb raised his arm on impulse, feeling Molly’s touch continue along the length, ending with a gentle squeeze to his hand before leaving the wizard and following the rest of the Mighty Nein deeper into the cave.

Their entire interaction couldn’t have lasted more than a minute, Caleb was certain it didn’t, yet it felt longer…  _ intense _ . Mollymauk had pulled him back from the darkness that enveloped his soul. Caleb was at a loss as to how he could do that with such simple words and a touch. How could the tiefling’s actions affect him like that?

“Aww, that was really nice.”

Caleb was startled out of his musings by Caduceus, who was now standing only a few feet away. He looked over at the smiling firbolg and, noticing he was still reaching out in the direction Molly had vanished, crossed his arms, scratching at his left nervously. His ears and cheeks began to burn as Caduceus took another step toward him and indicated down the cave.

“We should catch up,” he suggested, still smiling that knowing, genuinely happy smile, and all Caleb could muster was a nod, already embarrassed out of his mind.

They moved to the back of the cavern, Caleb’s questions and embarrassment pushed away as a new danger emerged and the Mighty Nein moved to defeat it.

**Author's Note:**

> Very new to this series, apologies for any mis-characterizations. First fic for Critical Role as well; please comment if you liked it! :)


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